Separation and Purification Systems

Abstract

The major industrial application of low-temperature processing involves the separation and purification of gases. Distillation of liquid air provides the major source of commercial oxygen, nitrogen, neon, argon, krytpon, anxenon. The bulk of the commercial helium is currently obtained from helium-bearing natural gas where the separation is effected by a low-temperature process. The low-boiling components of natural gas, such as methane, ethane, and ethylene, are separated and purified by low-temperature distillations. Low temperatures have also been used commercially to separate hydrogen from coke-oven gas and other sources of impure hydrogen. Even the commercial production of deuterium by cryogenic separation from hydrogen has become a reality.